Search

From talk of the President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev with the chairman of the ‎Assembly of the Council of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Saleh bin Humeyd - ‎June 7, 2003‎

Saleh bin Abdullah Humeyd: Your Excellency, let me to convey to You the sincere greetings of the guardian of two holy mosques, heir, chairman of the Council of Ministers and the people of Saudi Arabia.

We want to thank the speaker of the Azerbaijani parliament for the invitation and a very good program for our visit. Our visit was very interesting and useful. We are absolutely sure that it was realized due to Your wise advices and instructions.

Your Excellency, you know well that our visit serves the aim of strengthening fraternal and friendly contacts between our countries. We are very glad that the contacts between our countries began to develop in political, economic, tourist, cultural and other spheres.

We held useful talks with the speaker of the parliament. We established a friendship group and decided to exchange parliamentary delegates and coordinate our activity in the international organizations. During this visit we once again stressed the stable and unchanged position of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Of course, the position of Saudi Arabia comes from its Islamic position.

God Almighty gifted Saudi Arabia such an honor that the holy Koran was messaged there and the Prophet of Islam was born there and there is the holy mosques of Islam. Certainly, Saudi Arabia is proud of this honor and responsibility and also feels its responsibility to his Moslem brothers. The stable and decisive position of Saudi Arabia in problems of Moslems derives from this.

We occupy this position proceeding from the economic situation of our country and its place in the world. At the same time we proceed from the participation of our country in international forums. In this sense, our country always tries to defend justice and truth. Of course, it is very pleasant to me to be with Your Excellency. I don't want to misuse this opportunity and prolong the conversation. But I would like very much to be with you for hours.

I would like to stress once again that we are proud of that Azerbaijan has an ancient history and rich traditions. We wish more progress and prosperity to Azerbaijan under Your wise presidency. Thank you very much.

Heydar Aliyev: I very highly appreciate your worthy words. I would like to say the same to you. But you said everything. As if you guessed my thoughts.

Saleh bin Abdullah Humeyd: Your Excellency, that is great honor to me.

Heydar Aliyev: But, I want to say something.

There are close friendly relations between Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan. These relations have been broadened and developed after my visit to Saudi Arabia. We are very glad to it. The relations develop in all the spheres. I am very glad that we are on friendly terms in all these spheres.

Saudi Arabia is a country with great history. The Prophet of Islam was born there and the Koran written there.

So, Saudi Arabia forms the root of Islam. We are Moslems and we have protected our religion in a regime in which it was impossible. As Moslems we always respect Saudi Arabia and want to broaden our relations with it and use them more productively. Because there is a cooperation in all the spheres. But they have not brought great results yet. It is necessary to have a close cooperation and produce concrete results. I think that you think so too.

Saleh bin Abdullah Humeyd: Some Saudi Arabian investors work in Azerbaijan as well.

Heydar Aliyev: Yes. But we'd like more of the investments. Because we have opportunities. It would be better that you invest here, not anywhere else.

Saleh bin Abdullah Humeyd: That is why we were at the Ministry of Economic Development and discussed these issues there. Some of our Council members are businessmen. They also took part in our talks and exchanged views about these issues.

Heydar Aliyev: I am very satisfied. Cooperation must develop. We must be closer to each other. Our contacts are indestructible.

I was in Mecca and Medina. I saw an amazing view in Mecca. Your great service for Islam is that you have protected Prophet Mohammed's grave and Koran in all the hard times and presented them to the world. These palaces are very rich now. Perhaps, one million, two million of people pray in those palaces simultaneously.

Saleh bin Abdullah Humeyd: Your Excellency, the building is capable to contain one million prayers. But the surroundings of the mosque allow more than one million prayers there.

Heydar Aliyev: Very well. When I saw all of it, I thought, Saudi Arabia is a rich country now. It was not rich in the past. But it built, created and protected when it was not rich.

Your state, Your distinguished King have done a lot. I highly appreciate it. Please, convey my best regards to my dear friend King, to the Assembly of Council and to all the people of Islam there. I appreciate highly your parliament, its work, you work very well. Thank You.

Saleh bin Abdullah Humeyd: Your Excellency, my colleagues and I are proud of Your sincere high words about our country.

Our King, his Excellency, even refused the title of the King, and took the title of the guardian of two holy mosques. It is true that Saudi Arabia is proud of serving these two holy mosques, and Islam and Moslem peoples, in general.

Your Excellency, this present is a piece of the veil which covers the Kaba. It was brought for You from there. This is a very precious gift. And this is for drinking an Arabian coffee. It was of pure gold.